Scraping by in a Caracas high-rise

Torre David was meant to be the tallest skyscraper in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. But it was never finished, and now it’s occupied by about 3,500 people. Their homes are reminiscent of the city’s slums.

The death of promoter David Brillembourg in 1993 and the financial crisis of recent years put an end to the project.

Torre David remained empty until 2007, when the authorities decided to open the first floor to a few hundred needy people. Today the tower houses about 750 families who pay just 170 Bolivar (CHF25) in rent. Some tenants own small businesses, and the tower has become a symbol of the future of Caracas.

Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have immortalised the tower in a book. (Photos: Ivan Baar)